Improvement in melodeons



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK IIODDIOK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGOR TO GEORGE A. PRINCE & OO., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MELODEONS.

Spccitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,128, dated October 33, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HODDICK, of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, (assignor to GEORGE A. PRINCE, OHAs. E. BACON, and CALVIN F. S. TEoMAs,), have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Melodeons or other Reed Musical Instruments 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification,

in which- Figure I is a vertical section, Fig. II is a rear-end view, Fig. III is a top-plan view, and Fig. IV a detail view, of aportion of the tremolo-bellows, showin g the principle of the operating parts of my improvement.

The nature of this invention relates, first, to devising and constructing a tremolo-bellows having an inlet and outlet valve for the purpose of opcratin g a tremolo in musical instruments; second, a tremolo-bellows,or its equivalent, placed and used in connection with the wind-chest and swell-valve of reed musicalinstruments in such manner that the tremolobellows will act upon the swell-valve to produce the effects of a tremolo.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

Arepresents the frame-work or body of a melodeon or other reed musical instrument, andB the keys thereof. G represents the windchest, and D the reed-chamber. E represents the swell, which consists ofa hinged valve, located in the rear ofthe reed-chamber, and when closed forms the back of the reed-chamber. All of these parts are and may be of Common construction.

My improved tremolo-bellows is represented at F. It has two valves, j" and f2, which are supported upon two arms, g2 g3, which arms are Connected with and project from the crankshaft G. These valves open and close in opposite directions, and alternately. The one closes as the other opens, and vice versa.

The valve f1 connects with the open air and opens inwardly, and the valve f2 forms a connection with the wind-chest by means of the aperture f3 and opens outwardly. These valves, and also the valveseats, may be made of leather or other suitable material in a common manner.

Upon the crank G of the valve-shaft G is represented a rin g or grooved wheel, H, which is made of leather or other suitable material, and at I is represented a ne wire spring, the coil part ot' which is connected with a pin, which is fastened and projects from the hinged and movable iiap J ofthe bellows, and the free end of this wire spring is extended horizontally and acts upon the wheel H. This part is bent in a peculiar form, and adapted by its peculiar form, as it moves over the wheel, thereby to move the crank-shaft in such manner as to open and close the valves.

then the iiap of the bellows is open the vaive f1 is closed and valve f2 is open. Now, as the flap closes this wire spring acts upon the wheel H, and through that upon the crank G', shaft G, and valve-arms g2 g3 in a manner to open the valve j" and close the valve f2, and as the flap opens the reverse effect is produced, and so alternately.

The wire spring K is connected with the iiap in a manner to open it, and the wire spring L is also connected with the iap near the back end thereof, and passes over the front end, and forms a connection with the connecting-rod M, and the connecting-rod M also connects with the swell-valve E, as shown at mi', Fig. III.

Now, the operation is as follows: The air is exhausted through the outlet-valve f2 by the suction or exhaust action ofthe wind-bellows of the-instrument, which exhaust movement has the effect to close the flap ofthe tremolo-bellows, and thereby, through the mechanism before described, open the inlet-valve f1 and allow the external air to rush in and till the tremolo-bellows, at the same time Closin g the outletvalve f2, and thus the air is made to actin and upon the tremolo-bellows like steam upon and in a steam-en gine. A rapid movement of the valves and the flap is thereby effected, and as the iiap is connected with the swellwalve of the instrument, as before described, a rapid tremulous movement is communicated to the swell-valve, which has all the effect upon the vibrations of the air and musical sounds which is produced by tremolo attachments, which are specically constructed at considerable expense and attached to such instruments.

At N is shown a clamping-finger, hinged at n n', and connected with the rod 0, so that by 1. A tremolo-bcllows, F, having inlet and outlet valves f1 f2, constructed and operating substantially as herein described.

2. A tremolo-bellows, F, or its equivalent, placed and used in connection and combination with the wind-chest and swell-valve of reed musical instruments, for the purpose and substantially as described.

rnnDnmoK HoDDIoK.

Vitnesses:

E. B. FoRBUsH, B. H. MUEHLE. 

